Center for Hard to Recycle Materials

The CHaRM Center will officially open on Saturday, April 22 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

Cook County has partnered with South Suburban College to create the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center). This is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems. More information about materials accepted at the CHaRM Center can be found below. 

Location 

15800 State St., South Holland, IL 60473. The drop-off site is located on north side of campus in the overflow parking lot. Enter at traffic signal on State Street.

Hours 

  • Every Tuesday: 7 a.m. - noon 
  • Every Thursday: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. 
  • 2nd Saturday every month: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Please note: The CHaRM Center may close during inclement weather such as extreme heat, tornados or lightning. Click here to follow the Department of Environment and Sustainability on Twitter for updates. 

Commercial and industrial waste is not accepted. This campus is monitored 24/7 year-round. Materials may not be dropped off outside of operating hours. Individuals caught illegally dumping waste will be prosecuted and may be fined up to $10,000.

Accepted Items and Materials

Click each drop-down menu below to learn more about acceptable and unacceptable items. For more information on ways to dispose of other types of waste, please visit the Green Guide Library

    Residential recycling will go to a material recovery facility where it will be sorted by type and recycled into new materials and products. Please rinse food/drink residue from plastic, metal and glass before recycling. Remove staples and paper clips. Keep lids and caps on bottles and jars or place in trash. 

    Paper and Cardboard  

    Accepted: Moving boxes, food boxes, shipping boxes, cardboard or paper envelopes and folders, newspaper, mail and magazines, notebook paper, scrap paper and cartons.
    Not Accepted: Shredded paper, to-go cups, paper plates soiled with food, greasy cardboard or pizza boxes, coated paper take out containers, tissue paper, sparkly wrapping paper, paper towels and napkins. 

    Plastic

    Accepted: Hard plastic containers and bottles (water bottles, milk jugs, detergent containers, etc.) as well as #1 and #2 plastic to-go containers.  
    Not Accepted: Styrofoam, plastic utensils, flexible plastics (bags, straws, wrapping from food or packaging), bubble wrap, packing peanuts and foam packaging.  

    Metal 

    Accepted: Steel/tin food cans and aluminum beverage cans.  
    Not Accepted: Aluminum soiled with food, loose tabs or bottle caps, razor blades, needles or sharps.  

    Glass 

    Accepted: Brown, green and clear food and beverage bottles and jars.   
    Not Accepted: Small pieces of broken glass and Pyrex or head-resistant glass.

    Electronics, functioning and non-functioning IT-related electronics will be responsibly refurbished or recycled. 

    Computers and Accessories 

    Accepted: Laptops, tablets, desktop PCs, monitors, cables and accessories, circuit boards/cards, computer mice, computer power supplies, gaming devices, hard drives, keyboards, media speakers, network devices and CRT/tube Monitors and TVs.

    Home Entertainment 

    Accepted: Cable set top box (analog, digital, satellite), accessories and cables, plasma and LCD TVs, stereo equipment, Hi-Fi speakers, video players, digital cameras, DVD players, video cameras, game consoles and large screen TVs. 

    Servers and Data Centers 

    Accepted: Servers, storage arrays, network related equipment, power distribution units, routers and switches, cabling, switchgear, panelboard, mainframe equipment and server racks.

    Mobile Devices 

    Accepted: Cell phones/smart phones, personal digital assistants and MP3 players.

    Office Items 

    Accepted: Landline phones and communication devices, ink and toner cartridges, fax machines, video and audio equipment, PBX systems, projection equipment, security equipment, receivers and transmitters, desktop printers, large format printers and copiers and smart boards.

    Clothing, textiles and other household items will be reused when possible and recycled if no longer usable. Please make sure items are washed and completely dry before placing in a plastic bag.

    Clothing 

    Accepted: Blouses, pants, swimsuits, coats, scarves, ties, dresses, shirts, tops (any kind), hats, socks, formal wear, jackets, suits, undergarments, jeans, sweaters and all baby/infant clothing. 
    Not Accepted: Wet, moldy or dirty clothing.

    Shoes and Accessories 

    Accepted: All shoes are accepted, backpacks, gloves, office supplies, belts, handbags, purses, computer bags, luggage, tote bags, fashion jewelry and wallets. 

    Household and Textiles 

    Accepted: Bedspreads, washcloths, sleeping bags, drapes, blankets, home/wall decor, sheets, curtains, pictures/artwork, sofa covers, shower curtains, small area rugs/floor mats, towels, quilts, vases, pillows, baskets, books, kitchen dishes, glasses, holders/shakers and utensils.
    Not Accepted: Furniture, electronics, paints, mattresses and cleaners/liquids.

    Toys 

    Accepted: Plastic toys, baby toys, games (with all pieces), plush toys, wooden toys, stuffed toys and dolls. 
    Not Accepted: Wet, dirty or moldy toys.

    Furniture and small appliances in working condition will be refurbished and reused or resold through community partners.  

    Tools 

    Accepted: Power tools with cords free of damage, miscellaneous hardware, hand tools, woodworking and metalworking equipment.

    Appliances 

    Accepted: Air conditioners, microwaves and small kitchen appliances.

    Furniture 

    Accepted: Coffee tables, desks, end tables, high-chairs, kitchen chairs, playpens and upholstered chairs. 

    Styrofoam packaging and food and beverage storage waste will be condensed and recycled into new foam. 

    Styrofoam

    Accepted: Foam packaging waste from appliances, furniture, TV’s and electronics as well as coolers used in food and beverage storage.

    Questions 

    For any questions or if you’re a recycler interested in partnering with the County at the CHaRM Center, please email wasteandrecycling@cookcountyil.gov or call 312-603-8212, option 2.